Times are Changing
by Adeliade
Summary: Arthur managed to survive the battle and everything seems to be going smoothly. Merlin is now the court sorcerer and the king and queen have a son and another one on the way. Magic is being slowly reintroduced in Camelot but things can't go smoothly all the time. Now Merlin's in trouble and it's Arthur's job to save his savior. Merlin AU ending. Cannon pairings.
1. Merlin's Not Okay, is he?

**Hey guys! I'm so sorry that I haven't been publishing my other story lately but when I switched to my school computer I lost everything that I had saved :c **

**I'll continue it when I get a bit more typed up for for now this story is actually one that I had planned on writing a long time ago and could never find a good way of writing but finally sorted it out so I've been working on it as a bit of filler to cover the gap that's been made from my other story's hiatus.**

**Again, I am planning on finishing the other story but give me some time, school is hard and I've been really busy. I've also been grappling with some... personal issues lately and writing hasn't been the most important thing in my mind.**

Camelot castle was already abuzz with activity despite the early hour. Servants ran with baskets of laundry, plates of food and buckets of water to start baths for their masters. A low fog hung around the courtyard making clothes damp and armor uncomfortable for the guards who were unlucky enough to have morning patrol. There was one servant who was not already up and about, despite the growing lateness of the hour. Up in the far tower that was lazily drifting smoke out of the window from last night's cooking fire, a young man slept peacefully under a mountain of thick blankets. His charge was already bustling about, clinking bottles as he prepared the day's medicines. The scent of peppermint and sage permeated the warm air as the old man worked. No matter how late he had been up the night before Gaius always woke up at the crack of dawn to begin his preparations, generally speaking as his ward slept on peacefully. Merlin was not a lazy boy-and though he complained often about the smaller things like aches and sores received during his training with Arthur or his dangerous missions, but he never complained when he was really hurting. And even the most powerful warlock of all time could not fool the court physician. Merlin was slowing down. He moved like an old man and retired early, sleeping soundly through the night and late into the early afternoon. Gaius glanced at the closed door at the end of his chamber worryingly, his ward on his mind. He looked back down at the potion that he was brewing to see it was clear and watery, instead of yellow and thick as it should have been. Letting out a silent curse, the old man emptied the ruined mixture into a small wooden bowl and rinsed out the vial, unsure of what he had even put into it to make such a spectacular failure.

Trying to put Merlin out of his mind before he accidentally killed some, Gaius set about making the correct concoction this time and almost succeeded before a loud knock on his chamber door made him drop the small bottle completely, sending yellow goop splashing on the floor and over his shoes.

"Come in!" The angry court physician hissed, worried about waking Merlin with too much noise. The boy needed all the sleep that he could get to fight whatever it was that he was going through.

As expected, a moment later Arthur stepped cautiously into the room, already dressed in his armor with a mixture of worry and annoyance on his face.

"Good morning sire." Gaius greeted softly, already stooping down with creaking joints to clean up the mess.

Arthur crossed his arms. "Is he still asleep?"

The old man paused. When he finally spoke his voice was grave, not unlike when he delivered the news of death to a family. "Yes."

"How long has it been this time?" The blond asked softly, all pretenses of anger washed away.

"He retired before sunset last night and has yet to wake."

Alarm shot through the king at the news. "Have you been in to check on him?"

Gaius looked offended. "Of course! It appears to just be normal sleep without even night terrors to disrupt it. I went in to have a look before I began my morning brewing but he didn't even stir."

"Gaius... Do you know what is causing this?" Arthur sounded out of character to the point of almost seeming scared.

The old man wanted to reassure the king-he wished to reassure himself-but there was no merit in false hope.

"No sire, I fear that I haven't any idea. It's not any illness that I know about."

"Is it... Could it be because of his magic?" Arthur pressed. It was ironic how the king had been raised to hate anything magical and speak the word like the most bitter of poisons had just said it without any care.

Gaius stroked his chin thoughtfully and took a seat on the wooden bench by his worktable, motioning to Arthur to do the same, all traces of formality gone.

"I... I do not know entirely. I have suspected however... I was trying to convince myself otherwise."

Arthur took a seat, his blue eyes brimming with concern.

"I think that I should go and visit some people." The old man said thoughtfully.

The king jerked his head up. "People?"

"Druids." Gaius said simply.

For a moment the physician found the Arthur's expression almost comical. The blond bowed his head again and sighed. Gaius couldn't really blame him. Though Merlin, and his own magic were now accepted and well-known, the king was still untrusting of most outside magic users.

"Am I to assume that you do not mean the Druid settlement?"

Arthur was referring to a small village just in the forests beyond the lower town's borders. Merlin had pressured him into allowing a small amount of Druid people's to live there just after magic was legalized. Of course the king had been apposed at first but it made political sense in the end. The Druids were peaceful and didn't cause any trouble-in fact they rarely ventured from their simple homes into the main town and the citizens had begun to feel at ease about magic. However, they were all fairly low in power and possessed only basic magic. The help that Gaius needed was much stronger than anything they could offer. There was once a time when he would have just gone to visit Kilgharrah, but ever since Merlin had freed the dragon, seeing him was nearly impossible. And after the battle at Camlann, it was truly impossible. To think that the dragon would use the last of his life force to save the king.

"Sadly, no. The ones I seek are far away-at least a three days journey." Gaius sighed, thinking of the workload he'd have to complete before he set out.

"I'll lend you a troupe of knights." The king said simply. Gaius was grateful that the king seemed to have no problem with him leaving.

"It will take a few days of preparation. I'll also have to check on Amr and Guinevere before I leave. Fortunately, there are no babies due soon in the town so I should be able to depart soon."

Arthur smiled when he thought of his son and wife, who was now pregnant with their second child. She wasn't very far along and everything seemed to be going smoothly. It was like all their problems conceiving had somehow translated into good luck when it came to birthing the child in the end.

"It's probably best not to tell Merlin either." Gaius said thoughtfully, already thinking of the long rant he'd receive from his ward if he found out about his plans.

A loud yawn and opening of a door made both Arthur and Gaius jump.

"Tell Merlin what?" A gravely, sleep-filled voice asked.

Arthur wasted no time in making up an excuse.

"Tell you that you are too lazy Merlin! The rest of the castle has been up for hours and you are just managing to wake!"

Gaius sighed lightly and stood up, creaking and groaning as he did so. Merlin looked awful. His hair was messy and tangled, and he was in bad need of a trim. Despite getting more sleep than his body should have needed, the young warlock also had dark circles under his eyes.

"How are you feeling my boy?" Gaius asked with a mixture of physician and father inflected in his voice.

Merlin simply flashed a smile. "I'm fine, just a bit tired. But what are you doing here?"

The question was directed towards the king who was still seated and looking annoyed, though Gaius knew that it was an air.

"I came to see why my _court _sorcerer-" Merlin frowned at the word. He'd told Arthur over and over again that he was not a sorcerer, but a warlock, "was not out of bed and attending the council meeting that _he _specifically asked for."

Merlin looked at the blond with confusion in his eyes.

"Isn't it... The council meeting is tomorrow isn't it?"

Both Gaius and Arthur looked stricken. The old man moved closer to his ward.

"Merlin, why don't you go have a seat on the patient's bed." It was more of an order than anything else and the young warlock obeyed wordlessly.

Gaius followed him and shot a glance at Arthur. Knowing that Merlin would never come clean if he was around, the king excused himself, leaving the physician and his ward alone.

"Now, tell me how to feel." Gaius said almost threateningly.

Merlin hesitated but bowed his head in submission.

"I'm tired all the time. I feel like an old man."

Gaius nodded, knowing this was true before it was even said.

"Joint stiffness, weakness, dizziness?"

Merlin nodded to all of the questions guiltily.

When he looked up his eyes were clouded. "What's wrong with me Gaius?"

The old physician had believed that over the years he had steeled his heart. Delivering bad news constantly was not something that one could do without developing an unfeeling shell but the sincerity and fear in his ward's voice broke down any pretense of composure that the old man had left.

"Oh my boy, I just don't know."

Nothing more needed to be said, instead, Gaius sat heavily next to Merlin and wrapped him in a warm embrace. The warlock hesitated but hugged back tightly, selfish fear finally showing for the first time.

They didn't hug for long and after a moment, the physician patted the raven-haired youth's leg and went wordlessly back to work, beginning the potion for a third time and determined to do it right.

Merlin aided him for the rest of the day. Gaius made up an excuse about needing to go visit an ailing friend in a far-off village. Though the warlock had suspicions at first he quickly fell into the rhythm associated with making medicine. He tired easily but the day passed smoothly. Gaius would request an herb and it would already be in his hand and vice versa.

By the end of the day Merlin, both Merlin and Gaius were exhausted but they had managed to make an oversupply of potions, draughts and remedies, more than enough to fill the gap of the upcoming journey.

"I'm going to go to bed." Merlin announced when the last vial was placed on the shelf.

"No, you are going to eat something first, then you may go." Gaius corrected, already putting a pot of water over the fire for a hearty stew. Merlin hated liver but the physician knew that it was high in nutrients and that the boy would need all the aide his body could get.

Stretching and yawning and looking over at the empty patient's bed, Merlin grunted but moved to lay down anyway. Gaius did not stop him and instead bustled about, robes swishing on the floor as he cooked a rich meal of liver and onion stew and bread with apples for desert. With all the medicine prepared, he could check on the queen and prince the next day and depart ahead of schedule. Normally the physician would be opposed to leaving before he had planned, but Merlin's situation was worrying him more and more.

"Merlin." Gaius called lightly to the sleeping warlock.

When there was no response he tried again but Merlin slept on unaware.

"Merlin!" The old physician snapped. He went over to the patient's bed where his ward was sleeping and shook him harshly with no result.

The lack of awareness worried Gaius. Normally it didn't take this much to wake him up-even in his newly weakened state. Shaking the warlock roughly, his panic growing as he did so, Gaius called his name again.

Finally, blue eyes opened to no more than slits and looked around in confusion.

"Gaius?" Merlin croaked, not understanding why the old man was nearly on top of him.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Gaius simply stood up. "Dinner is ready."

Merlin rubbed at his eyes, looking much like a child would after being woken from a nap. He didn't comment on the stew as they ate though the look of distaste on his face was obvious. Despite everything, at least the youth still had an appetite, Gaius observed carefully. The court physician barely touched his own meal and focused instead on Merlin, noticing every spoonful that he took, even counting the bites of the apple that he took.

"Alright, that's enough. You may go to bed now-after you wash up." Gaius finally proclaimed when Merlin finished his apple. The warlock looked like the weight of the world had just been taken off his shoulders at the prospect of sleep.

He grumbled something about helping with the dishes but was waved off dismissively and wandered off to the far door.

**I'll admit it-the end of Merlin broke me. Broke me right down. So this is my version of the story of how it ended that's basically, Arthur and Gwaine didn't die and everything's happy now. Or not. Poor Merlin is in trouble and this time it's not him doing the saving. I know everyone's a bit out-of-character but I've not written Merlin for a while and I haven't watched it in even longer so bear with me. It'll get better I promise.**


	2. Gwaine to the Rescue

Gaius sat at the table for a long while longer, thinking and worrying. He would leave early the next morning but it was becoming clear that Merlin could not be left alone for the duration of his trip. The boy was obviously not concerned with such trivial things as eating and Gaius was beginning to doubt his ability to even run the errands he had planned to leave.

Another servant could deliver the potions with little instruction-Gaius made a mental note to write down which vials go to whom later-but taking care of the warlock would be more difficult. He'd be outright opposed to the idea of a servant. Just after being declared court sorcerer Arthur had tried to appoint Merlin a manservant of his own and the warlock had pitched a massive fit, claiming that he could take care of himself and didn't need anyone to do it for him.

The only thing that Merlin had allowed Arthur to do for him was give him his own room. It was less of a room than an entire chamber, much like Gaius's tower on the opposite side of the castle. However, the space required some renovations before they would be ready for the warlock to move into and so he was still sleeping in Gaius's extra room-though neither party minded much. The small room that had once been storage had become Merlin's home and the scents of medicinal herbs and dusty books had become almost like a perfume that clung to his clothes and reminded him of a safe place. But given the circumstances, it seemed that Merlin would need to move sooner than expected. The spare room was drafty and shut-off from the rest of the castle and the best thing for the warlock at the moment was to be warm and easily checked on.

Of course, Merlin would complain the entire time, but it was for the best. His own chambers had actually been ready to live in for a few weeks but the youth dragged his feet and puttered about to avoid having to leave.

His mind made up and list of things to do before he departed, Gaius stood up and went about cleaning up their dinner remains. After that was taken care of he decided to check on Merlin.

The old man opened the door to the back room quietly and immediately rushed in. Half on, half off the bed was Merlin, his shirt pulled up and damp rag still in his fist.

"Merlin!" Gaius cried but the youth didn't wake.

After trying his best to wake up the sleeping warlock to no avail, Gaius did the only thing that he could and finished washing Merlin's body, face and arms with years of medical practice and care. He retrieved a fresh shirt from the wardrobe and redressed Merlin carefully, making sure not to accidentally knock him off of his precarious position on the bed.

Despite the lateness of the hour, the next thing that Gaius did was go looking for Sir Gwaine. The knight's injuries from Morgana had healed completely and the rough man always seemed to have a soft spot for Merlin-though all of the knights seemed to. Now that he was no longer a servant and they were not expected to look down on him, Merlin had become popular amongst the knights and they often went to the tavern together.

The castle halls were quiet and Gaius only passed a few servants on his way to the knight's quarters. One of them, a pretty red-haired girl named Hanna he stopped and requested the fireplace in Merlin's chambers to be lit and the room prepared for someone to sleep in. The girl looked startled but agreed and set out with purpose.

If Gaius was worried about waking the knights when he set out on his mission, all fears died down when he closed in on their sleeping chambers. The noise was enough to wake the dead-laughter and off-key singing filled the castle halls-all coming from Gwaine's chambers.

The physician didn't bother with knocking, it wouldn't have been heard over the din anyway. Stepping into the room and narrowly avoiding being hit with a flying, live chicken, Gaius cleared his throat curtly.

Gwaine was shirtless, standing on top of his bed with a bottle of ale in one hand and his sword in the other. The scars from Morgana's attack gleamed on skin where no hair grew over anymore. At the foot of the bed was Percival, who was obviously just as drunk, branching his fists as though to fight off the other knight's sword. Sir Leon, who normally abstained from such frivolities was sitting on a chair, singing loudly an old bar song that Gaius knew well. There was also a few other knights and servants speckling the chamber, most passed out in a drunken stupor that Leon's horrible singing couldn't even break through.

"Gaius!" Gwaine roared, hopping off the bed and throwing both the sword and bottle to the ground with a great crash. The drunken knight moved as though he was going to embrace the physician but Gaius held up a weathered hand to stop him.

"Sir Gwaine I know that I allowed you to go back to your normal duties but I did not mean this." Gaius said sternly.

The knight's face didn't fall despite the scolding.

"'S just a'ittle fun, my frien'!" Gwaine exclaimed happily.

Gaius sighed. He had hoped that Gwaine would have been more help but in his condition it was obvious that he may not be of any help to anyone for the next few days.

"I had hoped that you would have been able to aide me with something but I'm afraid that you are not in any condition to do so." The old man said, dropping any formality that would have been expected around the knights, knowing that Gwaine wouldn't have cared even if he was sober.

"'Elp with wha?" Hiccuped Gwaine.

"Merlin needs to be moved to his new chambers and I am too old to do so, I thought that I would ask someone younger and more sober." The last part was added with a harsh voice.

Gwaine seemed to sober almost instantly. The man's alcohol tolerance was a mystery even to a learned man like Gaius.

"Is something wrong?" Gwaine's dark eyes had gone even darker and his face clouded over.

The physician sighed. In the background, Leon stopped singing and Percival was now paying close attention.

"Merlin is ill. I am leaving early tomorrow morning and will not be there to take care of him for a few days."

"Ill? What's wrong with him?" The dark-eyed knight asked worryingly.

Gaius paused. "I know not. I am going to pay a visit to someone who may be able to help but the trip will take at least three days time and Merlin can no longer stay in my chambers. The room is too drafty and there would be no one to check on him during that time if he stayed there."

Gwaine didn't need any more information. "Right, what do you need me to do?"

Leaving Percival and Leon behind, Gwaine and Gaius began the walk back to the physician's chambers.

Gaius explained what he could to the knight but had little answers to give to the barrage of questions he received. Along the way they encountered Hanna again, who assured them that the fire had been lit and the bed was turned down in Merlin's new chambers. Gaius thanked her and Gwaine winked, eliciting a blush and giggle from the servant girl.

Merlin was still in the same position when they returned and not even the jostling from Gwaine picking him up or the overwhelming smell of alcohol woke him.

The knight carried the man who he had come to know as his best friend solemnly, much like someone would carry a body. Gaius had given him instructions to take Merlin to his new chambers and put him in the bed. Gwaine had never been terribly nurturing and the gruff man's idea of helping a friend to bed normally either involved a woman or carrying an inebriated lump out of whatever tavern he happened to be in. However, when it came to Merlin, Gwaine somehow the knight was transformed into nothing less than a caring mother.

Merlin's new chambers were far nicer than Gwaine was used to. In fact, they reminded the knight of a cozier version of Arthur's room. The bed was huge and pushed up close to the fireplace with bright red blankets embellished in gold and the entire far side of the room was completely lined with bookcases filled with ancient-looking tomes in strange languages. Gwaine had never seen so many books in his entire life and he had seen some interesting stuff. There were a few chairs and a large table, plus a massive desk with a staircase behind it. Somehow Gwaine knew that the upper room was filled with books as well.

In his arms, Merlin hadn't stirred despite the awkward position he was being held and the jarring walk from Gaius's chambers halfway across the castle. Carefully, Gwaine laid Merlin's limp form down on the awaiting bed and tucked him in gently. The warlock didn't look particularly sick, just somewhat paler than normal and simply tired. Even in sleep he had dark smudges under his eyes, then there was the fact that Merlin hadn't woken up at all during the time Gwaine had been moving him. Curious, the knight leaned forward over his sleeping friend.

"Merlin." His voice came out no more than a whisper but it echoed in the space that was completely silent except for the occasional crackle of the fire.

"Merlin." Gwaine spoke louder but there was still no response, just deep, rhythmic breathing.

Slapping the sleeping warlock lightly on the cheek, Gwaine spoke even louder. "Oi, mate. Merlin?"

Now, Gwaine was well-versed in waking up the hungover and drunk but he didn't think that Gaius would appreciate him dumping a bucket of water on Merlin's head. Pushing past his immediate concern, the knight stopped trying to wake Merlin and instead sat on the side of the bed, putting a hand on the lump that was the court sorcerer's arm in hopes that his presence alone would help him wake up.

Gwaine wasn't sure how long he sat watching over his closest friend, watching him inhale and exhale and thinking about how as long as Merlin was breathing, he was fine. Gaius would be able to find a cure for whatever it was that was affecting the warlock and things would be fine. Gaius was able to bring Gwaine himself back from near-death after Morgana's attack after all.

Content with watching his friend breathe rhythmically, Gwaine had the chance to look around the room that Arthur had given-no, specially designed and made for-Merlin. It was far nicer than anything the knights would have and even nicer than Gaius's chambers. The tower had needed much renovation before it was livable but Gwaine wouldn't have imagined that Arthur would go as far as he did. Not only had the cobwebs and dust been swept out but it looked as though the King had let the architects go wild. The walls that could be seen from behind the bookcases were newly plastered and finished with red and gold paint. The windows had heavy-looking drapes of red and the furniture looked soft and comfortable.

"Well mate, looks like the princess is spoiling you." Gwaine said with a touch of sadness. He reached out and put a reassuring hand on Merlin's shoulder, hoping that somehow the gesture would reach his ailing friend.


	3. Floating Dinnerware and Growing Beards

**Sorry I haven't been posting on any sort of schedule but I've been really busy with upcoming midterms so... yeah here it is:**

A small amount of time later, the chamber doors opened and Gaius stepped in, looking weary and older than normal with an equally tired servant trailing his heels. The physician instructed the servant to set the things that they were carrying down on the table and Gwaine heard the unmistakable clink of bottles as the young boy who reminded the knight very much of a young Merlin unloaded his arms. Gaius thanked him and waved him off before going over to the bed.

"He hasn't woken." Gwaine commented seriously.

Gaius's face stayed the same at the news. "No, I suspected not. He was helping me brew potions all day and the work has tired him out."

Gwaine exhaled loudly, his grip tightening on Merlin's shoulder slightly.

"Will he be alright, Gaius?"

It was a question that the knight had avoided asking. He had lost too many friends, too many comrades, to hear the news that another one might be soon somewhere he couldn't see them.

"I do not know." Gaius said simply, sitting down with creaking limbs on Merlin's bed. The owner of which slept on peacefully.

Gwaine's eyes darkened. "What can I do? Arthur will give me leave if it's about Merlin."

"There is not much that we can do at the moment. I will know more after my trip but for now we must simply keep him warm and fed and let him get as much sleep as possible." The physician sighed.

The dark-haired knight looked back to Merlin, willing those blue eyes to open and for his friend to sit up in bed, laugh and say "gottcha" in that cheeky way he always did but there was no movement other than the gentle rise and fall of the warlock's chest under the blankets.

"I will stay with him then." Gwaine proclaimed.

Normally, Gaius would have opposed but it was doubtful that much could change the knight's mind at this point.

"You may if you wish. I'm sure that Merlin would be more likened to the idea of a friend helping him than a servant. I will come to check on him tomorrow morning before I depart but the biggest concern is getting him to eat and drink, and no, I do not mean ale Sir Gwaine," Gaius said sternly at the grin that spread across the knight's face, "I don't expect that he will wake tonight but I will leave a note for if he does."

Gwaine had been prepared to crawl into the bed beside his friend but was shooed away by Gaius, who claimed that the notion would be ridiculous and he should go back to his own room, provided that it had been cleared out of the drunkenness and chickens.

Once the knight had gone with one last backwards, worried glance at his friend, Gaius lined up the potions carefully on the table. Merlin would know which ones to take when he woke but the physician left a note explaining each one incase Gwaine would need to administer them as well as a note for his ward.

_Merlin,_

_I have gone to visit my friend and will back in four days time. While you slept we moved you to your new chambers. Do not pout about it, they are far nicer than your old one. Sir Gwaine is all-too-eager to look after you during this time and I expect you to be gracious about it. Eat properly, more than one meal a day and try to refrain from doing anything strenuous. _

_With love,_

_Gaius_

The old man folded the note and set it on the table next to the potions, scribbling MERLIN across the front before blowing out the candle on the table and sighing heavily.

The next morning Gaius woke up, still weary, to a knock on his door. The old man grunted for the knocker to enter and stood up, stretching his old, tired bones. A moment later a very worried-looking king entered the room and shut the door behind him.

"Are you set to depart?" Arthur asked.

Gaius yawned, already packed for his trip. "Yes sire, I just need a moment to check up on the queen and Amr."

Arthur smiled coyly and opened the door again. A very excited three-year-old bound into the chambers, with dark skin and a mop of shaggy dark hair. He took after his mother more than father except for the bright blue eyes that scanned the room happily. Gwen stepped in a moment later, already wearing a maternity dress but looking positively beautiful none-the-less.

"Ah." Gaius said, feeling that he should have expected that much. "My lady, how are you feeling this morning?"

Gwen pursed her lips. "I am fine Gaius. It is not myself that I am concerned about. How is Merlin?"

Motioning for the queen to sit down on the patients bed, Gaius tried to put on a unconcerned face.

"He will be fine, my lady. It is not good for the child to fret over such matters. Have you been eating properly?" The physician asked quickly to get the subject off of his ward's failing health.

Gwen laughed almost bitterly. "Yes I've been eating as much as one of the horses and with around the same diet. I fear I'm becoming huge!"

Arthur snorted in the background, holding Amr on his lap while he sat on one of the benches. The excitable toddler was chewing on his father's sleeve happily and the king made no motion to stop him.

"My lady you are as beautiful as ever and don't appear to have gained any extra." Gaius said reassuringly. He proceeded to check her over and tell her to keep drinking the potions that he had provided.

Next was Amr. The youngster was a bit more difficult to look over do to his constant squirming.

"I am sorry Gaius, Arthur has just started teaching him to ride and he is bursting to get back in the saddle." Gwen laughed happily as the toddler evaded yet another poke from the physician.

Arthur did his best to hold him son still and answer the old man's questions.

"The sniffle is gone then, I take it?" Gaius said in reference to the small chill that the child had developed earlier that month. It had been the start of several frantic late-night visits from the physician only to be told that one cough was no cause for concern or that a singular sneeze was normal for such an ailment.

"Completely better, thank you Gaius. We were both so worried." Gwen piped up, looking at her son lovingly.

"Good boy." Gaius said, finally done with the prince. Amr bounced up and down on Arthur's knee as Gaius handed the boy a honey-covered nut on a stick, an old trick he had used with the king when he was a boy to get him to stay for a full examination.

"Gwen, will you take Amr to play in the gardens?" Arthur asked, the subtle hint that he wanted to discuss Merlin was understood and Gwen bid her goodbyes, ushering the toddler out with her.

As soon as the door was shut, Arthur let out a heavy exhale.

"I went to check on him this morning, Gwaine was already there but it didn't look like he had woken at all yet. I gave Gwaine the entirety of your trip off." The king said.

Gaius nodded. "Thank you sire, I'm sure that he'll take good care of Merlin. I am ready to depart as soon as the knights are gathered."

The king grinned. "The knights are waiting in the courtyard. I've sent Leon along as well."

Sir Leon was Arthur's most trusted knight. Though the man was a few years older than the king, he listened well and was one of the first to except the idea of magic and help the other knights with the transition.

Gaius wasted no time in departing. He had managed to get a few servants to deliver the potions and only had to stop to check on Merlin before he left.

Merlin was surprisingly awake when Gaius entered the chambers. He and Gwaine were seated at the table, the potions pushed the the end, note obviously red and a large plate of breakfast between them.

The warlock looked tired but slightly better than the night before. His plate had a single piece of bread and cheese on it. Gaius frowned when he saw how little the man was eating and Merlin looked up guiltily at the physician.

"Good morning Gaius." Merlin said softly, his voice still full of sleep.

Gwaine turned to greet the physician as he entered.

"Merlin you must eat more than that." Gaius said sternly.

Merlin looked down. "Yes, I know. I wasn't all that hungry this morning."

It couldn't be helped. Merlin was used to having to do without breakfast thanks to always being late serving Arthur all the years and had gotten used to going without in the morning. Still, the warlock needed to pay more attention to his needs, especially during this time.

Moving past the issue, Gaius wasted no more time.

"I am departing and will be back soon. I've left you in Sir Gwaine's care for the time being. I won't be long but take care of yourself, my boy."

Merlin stood up unsteadily and stiffly. It was obvious that he didn't want the physician to go.

"I could come with you." The warlock offered but Gaius shook his head.

"No, you need to stay and rest. I will be back before you realize it. I'm sure that you won't be bored with Sir Gwaine here to keep you company."

The knight in question turned to grin at the physician with a huge piece of bread shoved in his mouth and dark eyes dancing once more now that Merlin had finally showed some sign of life.

Merlin looked hesitant and almost like he was about to cry but simply embraced his surrogate father and mentor.

"I will see you soon, my boy." Gaius rubbed his ward's broad back that was hard from years of mucking out stables and carrying armor.

As soon as Gaius had left Merlin sat back down and started on his breakfast, managing to eat the entire thing as well as an apple and he and Gwaine joked and laughed. Though he had just woken up, Merlin already felt tired after his meal but pushed past it.

"What's in all these books mate?" Gwaine asked, looking around at the tomes surrounding them.

Merlin smiled. "They are all the books locked away in the vaults, so I'm guessing very old, very powerful magic."

Both men looked at each other, much like children would before playing a trick.

"Let's see some then." Gwaine said deviously and Merlin shot up as fast as his slowing body would allow to grab the nearest book. The tongue was old but the words were as clear to the warlock as anything written by his own hand.

By mid-afternoon, the room was littered with opened tomes and bits of magic floating around. There was a scorch mark from flame creatures that Merlin had conjured from the fire, floating plates and bits of fruit, Gwaine's hair was a hand longer and he was now sporting a magnificent beard and snow fell from the rafters but stopped just above their heads.

Despite having fun, Merlin could feel his magic get weaker and weaker with every spell that he cast. Gwaine noticed it too-the way that instead of bright gold, the warlock's eyes only glowed a dull copper color.

The plates that had been floating suddenly clattered to the ground with the fruit, sending tomato and apple bits spraying over the newly polished floor. The snow stopped dissolving in the air and fell to the floor for a moment before completely fading from the ceiling and Merlin fell back against a bookshelf.

Gwaine was there in a moment, helping to support his friend and get his over to the bed. Even though Merlin insisted that he was fine, his legs felt weak and he could hardly keep his eyes open.

The last thing that Merlin could remember happening was Gwaine letting him down on the bed with a "here you go mate", then darkness. Judging by the light coming in the windows it was still daytime. The warlock spotted the dark-haired knight sleeping in one of the many comfy chairs sitting around the chambers. He cursed his own weakness at having fainted like a girl in front of his friend.

Sighing, Merlin pushed back the blankets and discovered that he was wearing sleeping clothes. He wondered in Gwaine had changed him but didn't think too much about it. With Gwaine, modesty was a lost cause. He'd gotten the drunken knight out of some very awkward and naked situations before and both men had seen each other in nothing more than once, though Merlin only started taking part in that after he had been discovered to have magic. His body was covered in one-too-many scars to explain without everyone knowing.

"Gwaine." Merlin whispered to the sleeping knight as he approached. Gwaine jerked awake roughly with a cut-off snort and incoherent mumble. A speck of drool was dripping from his chin that was now sadly, beardless.

Gwaine looked at Merlin without really registering who he was looking at. The warlock smiled at his friend's antics.

"Let's have you, lazy daisy." Merlin said happily, used to having to wake the king with the same words.

"Merlin let me sleep." Gwaine mumbled tiredly but then his eyes snapped open. "Merlin! Are you feeling alright? You should eat something."

Merlin shrugged. "I haven't been asleep that long, it's still day out. Besides, I just got tired."

Something dark flashed in Gwaine's eyes. "Mate it's the _next _day. You slept through the night too."

The warlock faltered. He'd felt like he could sleep for an entire day before, normally after saving Arthur's life, again, but he'd never actually done it.

"Oh no." He whispered and Gwaine got up quickly.

"Merlin, mate, what's wrong?" The knight asked seriously, putting his hands on the warlock's shoulders.

Merlin looked up at him pleadingly. "The make-up council meeting. It's about to start and I was supposed to be there because I sle- I missed the last one."

Gwaine looked a mixture between relieved and annoyed.

"The princess really expects you to go to a council meeting when you're sick?" He asked angrily.

Though the knight mocked the king, called him names and skipped knight training to hang out in taverns, he had a deep respect and friendship with Arthur, but when it came to Merlin and his health Gwaine tended to judge the king harshly.

"No no no," Merlin said, "I asked him to call another one after missing the first. I had forgotten because I was helping Gaius all day and I happened to see him in passing. I have to get ready!"

**To be warned a LOT of this is just feel-good fluff because I love it.**


	4. Daisy Chains

**Hey guys sorry that this isn't a super long chapter but school has been super crazy lately. We're coming up on spring break and the workload is getting pretty bad. Anyway... here's the latest chapter.**

It was like that, that the court sorcerer of Camelot walked into an already in-session council meeting, wearing crinkled clothes with disheveled hair and dark circles under his eyes, looking more frantic than most had ever seen him.

Despite trying to sneak in quietly, everyone in the room stopped to watch as the warlock lurked in and took his seat on the left of Arthur. Gwen, who was on the king's right with Amr in her arms, gave him a worried smile. The man in the center of the two remained stoic but internally was screaming.

"Right," a noble in bright orange robes said, "as I was saying, Sire, we cannot allow them to live there any longer. The people are becoming wary and many parents have found their children out late, playing with them in the forest. The children of course say that they were just picking flowers and playing games but that's exactly what a child would say if they were under a spell."

Merlin rolled his eyes. This was the entire reason that he had requested the meeting. Some nobles and counselors were still trying to get rid of the druids who lived outside of the town.

Arthur let out a tight sigh before responding, holding up a black-gloved hand to silence the man.

"Lord Perigant. The druids are peaceful. The children are not under any spells. I have had my court sorcerer-" Merlin felt his chest swell at the pride in Arthur's voice when he said 'court sorcerer', "take a look at all the children who have been playing at the settlement. Merlin, why don't you tell the counsel what you discovered?"

Merlin cleared his throat, trying to look important. "None of the children were under any sort of spell, enchantment or anything otherwise, except for one girl who had fallen and skinned her elbow, which was wrapped with herbs and a small healing charm."

"So none of them were in danger then?" Arthur continued.

"No sire." Merlin answered dutifully.

"And the tales of picking flowers?" The king asked.

Merlin pulled out a small chain of purple wildflowers that had been woven into something of a crown.

"It appears, sire, that they were picking flowers." Merlin said happily.

The king smiled at the nobles defeat. The court sorcerer did the same. Somehow their banter came in useful when it came to putting rioting nobles back in their place.

Lord Perigant, who had been standing with a very stupid look on his face suddenly turned angry.

"My lord, if I may, are you really going to trust in this... This enchanter? If king Uther was here he'd have him thrown in the dungeons and executed within minutes I don't unders-"

The king slammed his fist down on the round table before him angrily. "Lord Perigant I suggest that you silence yourself at this moment before you say something that I don't agree with."

The puffed up man deflated almost instantly and sat back down, looking very much like he was attempting to sink into his chair.

Riled up, Arthur continued. "My father was a great king but he was not always correct. He feared the things that he did not understand and as such many mistakes were made that cost Camelot a great deal. As the king I am trying to right my father's doings, that includes the unjust persecution of magic."

Merlin looked down at the flowers in his hands with a proud smile. Never in a millennium would the raven-haired man have thought that he'd hear those words from the king's mouth, let alone to an entire room of very powerful men.

The meeting progressed as usual until the subject of grain-distribution came up. The winter was not far off and the subject needed to be addressed as soon as possible to begin preparing.

"We must set aside a portion of the stores for the outer villages and the settlement as well." Arthur said with a bored drawl. One of the counselors looked stricken and Merlin sat up straighter in his chair.

"My lord I must object. The outer villages have their own farms and stores and the settlement, well surely you can't expect us to give our hard-earned food to them?"

The man in question was older, not as old as Gaius but definitely late into his 50th year and as thin as Arthur's sword. Merlin was actually surprised that he had challenged the king.

"The outer villages farm, yes, but they have little stores as most of it goes towards taxes and there were far too many deaths last winter to ignore. As for the settlement, the druids help in farming. The cast charms over the fields to create a larger crop, surely you cannot say that you have not noticed the over-abundance this season?"

The counselor looked sheepish. "Well, yes, Sire, the fields have been plentiful this year but that could just have been due to the weather. There is no proof that their... Magic, has anything to do with it."

"My lord," Merlin interjected, noticing that the king looked bored and irritable, "if I may, the druids have been using a very old earth magic that aids in the farming process. If my figures are correct," Merlin said, looking at a complicated set of numbers on a piece of parchment that he had brought along with the flower wreath, "the fields should yield about double what they normally would. That doesn't seem like it could have just been caused by the weather."

"No, it certainly doesn't, does it?" Arthur asked, looking directly at the counselor, who apologized and went back to working on his own figures. From across the table, Merlin could see him scribble down a sizable amount under the settlement's name.

Over the course of the meeting Merlin had managed to remain awake and alert but as time wore on and the day got later and later, he felt himself beginning to tire. Gwen had passed Amr off to a nursemaid long before and Merlin had slipped the prince the flower crown that he had brought.

After a short while the warlock noticed Arthur glancing at him every-so-often. Eventually, in the middle of a heated debate on where to source the stone for a new portion of the castle, the king cleared his throat loudly.

"The meeting with continue tomorrow at noon, you are all dismissed." He said and the room dispersed quickly, obviously as bored of the subjects as Merlin was.

"It's like listening to George explain all the different ways to polish copper." Merlin said with a weary sigh after the last man had left the room.

Arthur cracked a smile. "Or like listening to that one story of Gwaine's concerning a busty barmaid and a very angry goat.

Merlin chuckled, knowing the exact story. Gwaine had told it time and time again but always seemed to forget that everyone had heard it multiple times.

From the other side of Arthur, Gwen peeked over.

"How are you feeling, Merlin?" She asked softly, her dark eyes brimming with concern.

The warlock smiled reassuringly. "Healthy as a horse."

A look of disbelief flashed over the king and queen's face but they kept silent.

"Now, I believe that I will go see about the pratling." Merlin said, getting up as smoothly as he could manage and fighting the urge to sit back down and not get up.

"That 'pratling' as you call him in the prince of Camelot and you will show him the respect that a prince deserves." Arthur said, trying to sound stern but failing.

Merlin looked stricken. "Sire I am! After all, I used to call you a prat all the time when you were a prince."

"Yes and it was very inappropriate!" The king retorted.

Smiling, Merlin replied cheekily, "But look at what a king you've become, and all because I was there to humble you."

Despite being concerned for the warlock, Arthur opened his mouth in protest. As Merlin dashed out of the counsel room a loud "MERLIN!" could be heard echoing throughout the castle.

Merlin found the toddler in question playing in the gardens with his maid. The prince was wearing the flower crown and chasing around a small whelp with loud shouts of joy. The puppy in question had been a gift from Arthur to his son for his last birthday. The dog would one day join the elite hunting hounds of Camelot but for now was simply a companion for the young prince.

"Unkie!" The prince cried when he caught sight of Merlin. The nickname had been bestowed upon the warlock when Amr first learned to speak. At one point Merlin had referred to himself as "uncle" when speaking to the toddler and much to his delight, and Arthur's horror, the boy had repeated a mangled version of the word back to him and it had stuck.

"Ah, your royal highness!" Merlin said with a low bow, putting on a show for the boy. "What would we like to see today?"

Amr's eyes lit up and he screeched "pony pony pony" excitedly, dancing circles around the warlock.

"Alright, pony it is!" Merlin laughed happily and held out his hand. He whispered a few words of the ancient language and his eyes flashed gold as a herd of galloping horses appeared like smoke in the air and began prancing around the two.

Amr clapped his hands in glee and began chasing the smoke around, followed closely by his dog and then Merlin, who brought up the rear.

After a few minutes of running, where Merlin had to pause several times to catch his breath, the warlock collapsed happily into the grass and shut his eyes. It was growing close to Autumn and the air was cool but not cold, the sun bright and warm on his skin.

"Oomph!" Merlin exclaimed as something hard slammed into his stomach. He opened his eyes to see two blue orbs staring back at him, inches from his face.

"Unkie tell story." Amr demanded.

Merlin put his arms behind his head and made no motion to move the boy, who was stretched out along his torso with his arms folded underneath him.

"Hmm... Let's see. Okay I've got one." Merlin said after a moment.

"Once upon a time, there was a great, big, nasty dragon." He began, putting together a haphazard story in his mind.

"This dragon, he wasn't very nice at all. He would always stomp over the fields and set fire to villages and send people running and screaming."

Amr put his head down on Merlin's chest and closed his eyes but the warlock knew that the prince was still listening so he continued.

"And this dragon, he was also really sad and lonely, because he didn't have any friends. Everyone was afraid of him, so he'd go out and stomp their fields and set their houses on fire because he was sad."

"But one day, a knight came along. He was the bravest and noblest of the knights. His name was Lancelot."

Merlin's chest got tighter at the mention of his friend but he tried to keep his voice steady and upbeat.

"And the knight he found the dragon one day in the forest and the dragon said to him 'who are you and what do you want?' And Lancelot responded, 'I am Sir Lancelot! The bravest and noblest of all the knights! I've come to slay you dragon!' And with that Lancelot took his sword and charged in at the dragon."

"No one had ever been brave enough to try and slay the dragon before so Lancelot managed to deal a blow on the creature's arm. The dragon had never been hurt by a sword before and so he cried out in pain and shock."

"Lancelot got ready to attack again when he noticed the dragon crying and he asked 'why are you crying beast? I've come to slay you, tears will not help you now!'"

"The dragon cried out 'I just wanted someone to talk to! I never meant to stomp the fields and burn the houses I was just lonely!' And Lancelot stopped."

"You see, Lancelot had grown up without any brothers or sisters and so he knew what it was like to be lonely and he took pity on the dragon. 'I'll be your friend.' Lancelot said to him and the dragon stopped crying."

"After that no one's fields ever got stomped on and no one's houses ever burned because deep, deep in the forest the lonely dragon and the bravest, noblest knight were laughing and talking and having fun together. The end."

Merlin glanced down at the toddler on his chest and saw that he was fast asleep. With a smile the warlock reached out to pet the puppy who had snuggled up on his side and closed his own eyes, enjoying the feeling of the sun on his skin.


End file.
